The ealiest document about my great-great-great grandfather, Nicholas Delaney, is the record of his trial for murder. The manuscript is in the National Library of Ireland in Dublin.

In November 1799, at the courthouse in Wicklow, he was charged with the abduction (in June 1798) of John Hope and John Brady and, with Edward Neil, of the murder of Richard Twamley and George Heppenstall in July 1798. If found guilty, he would be hanged.

My mother, Patricia, first heard of Nicholas’s trial when she was back in Australia researching her family history. The people in the Post Office in Little Hartley, NSW, showed her a folder compiled by our distant cousin, Antoinette Sullivan, a noted family historian. It included a typed transcription of the trial document. Mum visited Antoinette, who gave her a photocopy.

Page from the trial of Nicholas Delaney, 1799, NLI

We were inspired to find out more and in 1994 we went to Dublin and found the original MS and some related papers. I can still remember the thrill of sitting in that huge, quiet room, reading the vivid words and carefully writing every one down (including abbreviation signs) with the pencils we were given – ink was forbidden.

It turned out that Antoinette’s copy, made by a researcher, contained quite a lot of mistakes, and indeed the MS wasn’t always easy to read. We were delighted to send her a correct transcription. We owe Antoinette so much for starting us on the trail of the trial – and of Nicholas.

There’s a photo of a page of the original trial transcript on p34 of our book, A Rebel Hand: Nicholas Delaney of 1798: from Ireland to Australia.

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About rebelhand

A Rebel Hand is:
about Nicholas Delaney, Irish rebel of 1798, transported as a convict to New South Wales, roadbuilder, innkeeper and farmer. My great-great-great grandfather.
Other ancestors transported to Australia, like Sarah Marshall, John Simpson and James Thomas Richards, pop up as well.
This blog's also about the historical background to their lives, in England, Ireland, and Australia.

Thanks for joining in. I would love to be able to go on a research trip like that! It doesn’t have to be to the other side of the world, Melbourne would do me fine right now…
You are going to tell us about the trial now, aren’t you ;-)

Hello
I am also a decendant of Nicholas Delaney, he is my 4 x great grandfather via his grandson Edward. I am about to go to Ireland (June) and will be visiting Wicklow Gaol and Vinegar Hill etc and hope to gain a little more incite into our ancestor’s life before his transportation. If there is any information that may help me on my journey regarding Nicholas Delaney I would be very grateful to recieve it.
cheers :)

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Header image based on View of Sydney Cove from Dawes Point by Joseph Lycett. By State Library of New South Wales (cat a5491074), CC BY-SA
Full details: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:View_of_Sydney_Cove_from_Dawes_Point_by_Joseph_Lycett_page74_a5491074.JPG